Military General Service Medal 1793-1814, with clasp 'Chateauguay', awarded to Private Hyppolite Brisette, Canadian Voltigeurs

Silver medal with the portrait of Queen Victoria on the obverse, with the inscription, 'Victoria Regina' with the date '1848'. On the reverse the figure of Queen Victoria crowns a kneeling figure of the Duke of Wellington with a wreath, with the inscription, 'To The British Army' and the date range, '1793-1814', with a red and blue ribbon, with the clasp, 'Chateauguay'.

The Military General Service Medal commemorated the battles of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815). However, it was not issued until 1847. This was 33 years after the last battle the medal marked. Therefore the numbers issued were fairly small and just over 25,000 were awarded. The next of kin of the dead, unless the veteran had lodged a claim prior to his death, were not eligible to claim the medal.

The Battle of Chateauguay (26 October 1813) saw a combined force of French-Canadian militia and Mohawk warriors under Colonel Charles de Salaberry repulse an American attempt to invade Lower Canada (now Quebec and part of Newfoundland) and capture Montreal. The Voltigeurs were a company of French-speaking light infantry, especially raised for the American War of 1812.